What is to be, will always be
by Hyu-san
Summary: NessxLucas // A somewhat alternate reality does not save Lucas from heartache. Dealing with loss of loved ones and developing psychic abilities, Lucas's life is complicated even further when a boy named Ness moves to Tazmilly village...
1. Expecting

**_Author's Note_**_:_ Heya! Sorry, this is my first time uploading anything here. I'm still tryin' to get the hang of things. For some reason ffnet won't let me have large gaps between paragraphs in my story (hence the awkward dots). I tried using other programs but it never preserves my original document. If anybody knows the problem please lemme know. Otherwise, enjoy!

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E x p e c t i n g

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_Dearest Flint,_

_Hello darling! I know we'll be seeing eachother in two more days, but I decided to write you because I cannot contain my excitement. As much as I enjoy visiting my mother and father, I'm beginning to feel homesick and can hardly go a moment without thinking of you. I thank heaven for blessing me with such a loving husband, as well as the children that we will soon bring into this world. I still can't believe we're going to be parents. Isn't it exciting! The babies have been lively as ever, kicking all day long, and sometimes late into the night. It's a little tiring! But I can't help but smile knowing I will soon be able to hold them in my arms. That silly neighbor of ours said there was no way I could know we're having twins, but I do! I know they're both going to be boys too. Brave and strong, just like their father. It's called "Mother's Intuition", you know._

_I know at this stage I need to be at home with my mother, the only midwife in town, just in case the twins decide to come into the world a little early. I also understand you need to look after the house and sheep, but how I miss being home, and how I miss you. Have you managed okay without me? Are you eating enough? Have you been changing your pantaloons every day? ...Oh my, I'm beginning to sound like a Mother already._

_Well, you needn't worry about me, dear. I've been eating more than enough for three, and my mother has been treating me like... well, a baby, since I got here. We're all getting ready for the babies' arrival._

_Get here soon, and safely!_

_With all my love,_

_Hinawa_

_P.S. Next time, let's try having the baby at home. Yes, I said next time!_

_._

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_I'm so sorry, Flint... but... Hinawa... she didn't..._

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_... H i n a w a ..._

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"Mornin' Flint!"

The rancher barely lifted his head when a female voice greeted him warmly, if not vigilantly, and listened silently as footsteps drew nearer and nearer. It was always just enough to pull him out of the dreary reminiscence that consumed him from time to time, but never quite enough to will out much of a response from him. Arlene, a stout and fair-haired neighbor of the family, knew Flint had never been a man much for words, so she was not quite sure if her greeting was even heard or if Flint was just off in his own world again. A smile curved her lips upward however, when the man finally regarded her with a single nod, then returned to his work.

It was just another typical morning. Day after day, cotton candy clouds would form perfectly in the dawn sky. Day after day, Flint would rise and get to work around the ranch. Day after day, pesky neighbors would casually drop by to 'check in' on him and say the most irritating things.

"You sure are lookin' better these days. It's so good to see you back workin' regular."

Things like _that._ Flint hated to be reminded of how things were before 'better' had come along. Especially since, in so many ways, things were still not "better". He'd learned to ignore the woman, or whomever else might trigger unpleasant memories, and instead focused on the task at hand; Today, that would be hammering a wooden post into the ground. Seemed he was restoring the old fence, observed Arlene. Being the local Seamstress and self-proclaimed _dear_ friend, she came down to the ranch to check in on him every now and then and see if he would be producing more wool any time soon. Winter was only a couple seasons away after all, and nothing would make her happier than to knit some warm wool sweaters and scarves for everyone in the village!

"...Give it about a week more. I'll have some good wool for ya then." Flint said, finally, after an uncomfortable silence between the two. This perked the woman up a great deal, blue eyes sparkling and pink lips smiling something fierce. "That's wonderful to hear! In turn, let me make you a nice sweater! And what about Lucas? He's surely growing out of those old clothes of his. How about I make him a new outfit as well!" Arlene was clearly blind to the man's disinterest, but once she promised him and his son a new wardrobe she was off on her way soon enough. Things to do, people to see, after all. The woman always meant well, but it still left a dismal imprint in his heart when she inadvertently reminded him of the hell he'd gone through over the past years

But dwelling on such things was hopeless, Flint had learned. There were sheep to tend to, work to be done, after all. So that's exactly what Flint was going to do, and what he did do every single day.

Lucas, his boy, however, was another story.


	2. Figments

**_Author's Note_**: The oxymorons in this story are actually quite intentional. Not just me being dumb at all, nosiree!

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F i g m e n t s

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Morning sunlight beamed in, profound yet gentle, much like the breeze that snuck in along with it. It was far too early for any but a bird to rise, and yet, blond lashes fluttered apart as soon as the light touched them.

Stirring, a young boy squeezed his eyes back shut and tossed his head from side to side. _Too early, _he thought, about to pull the quilt up over his head.

But he was startled by a sound.

Sitting up abruptly, the blond glanced around the small, tidy room, searching for the culprit of that... noise. A moment and he caught sight of a worn baseball rolling towards his door._ Ah! _Good thing the window was open, otherwise the ball might have shattered right through it! Lucas fumbled out of bed to peer, cautiously, out the window.

Yellow eyes rounded with wonder.

A boy, dark hair, baseball cap placed firmly on his head, was climbing over the backyard fence. Correction--_dangling_ over.

_"W-what are you doing!?" _A squeek; was it even audible? It must have been, seeing as the other boy's head snapped up towards the sound, his back straightening up soon after. The dark-haired boy who was assumingly there to retrieve his lost ball, said nothing as he played a risky balancing game with each leg dangling over either side of the fence, his hands the only support by gripping onto the wood.

Curious eyes met wide, curious eyes.

The exchange was brief however, as the boy lost his balance and fell over with a sharp gasp.

Mouth open in shock; it took a moment to hit him. Was he okay? _Why wasn't he moving!?_

The blond pushed himself back, then scrambled around the room a bit in panic before heading out the door. Down the stairs. Around the kitchen table. Swiftly, he flung the backdoor open, and, shyness melting away, the search began for the boy who had landed in his yard moments ago.

But, much to his surprise, he found no one. The boy with the cap might as well have vanished out of thin air. At a loss, he blinked and glanced all around, but not even a muttered "H-hello?" caught any response. He really was gone.

_...Had he even been there to begin with...?_

Something swept over the young boy; a familiar feeling he did not like.

_Why? Why does it keep happening...?_

Sighing with personal defeat, he rubbed his groggy eyes, and shuffled back inside.

_I always saw things... always heard sounds... voices too... that weren't really 'there'. But lately... it's been happening every day... and... and it always seems so... real..._

Lucas was hardly the spitting image of his father. Not only had he gotten a majority of his features from his late Mother, Hinawa, but he seemed to have inherited a bit of her personality as well. The now 11-year-old boy was very gentle and softspoken, just like she was. He loved animals, plants, and preferred staying home and napping the day away over going outside and getting dirty. But a trait Lucas had inherited from neither his mother nor his father had been growing increasingly strong... and increasingly disruptive in his young life.

_Whimper._

Lucas stopped mid-step as his brown labrador flopped down at his feet. The boy was on his way back to bed, but he couldn't shake the emotion coming off his furry companion.

"S'wrong, Boney?" The boy asked aloud, scratching behind his floppy ears. Most pet owners spoke to their pets, but rather than leaving it at that and continuing on with his day--Lucas actually did something that others did not, or _could not _do_,_ in regards to animals. He _listened._

_"I'm depressed," _was what he heard, as big, brown eyes failed to make contact with his own. Lucas sat beside his companion, one knee propped up, and let a hand stroke up and down Boney's back. "Aw, how come?" Boney huffed, but didn't try to avoid the question. Funny thing about animals--they didn't lie or play the games the people played. One of many things Lucas loved so much about them. _"Flint won't let me take him on walks anymore... we used to go every single morning. We went on all kinds of adventures. But now he just wakes up and leaves. I miss him."_

Lucas nodded with silent sympathy. It was true, he hadn't seen his dad take off with Boney at all recently.

_Not since... he gave up..._

Lucas didn't say a word. Not audibly, at least. What he did do was wrap his small arms around the dog and quietly nuzzled his face into chocolate hued fur. _I'm sorry, Boney. I miss him too... _The act and the comforting thought were more than enough to get Boney's tail wagging again. Lucas giggled when the tail brushed against his exposed knee, then pulled back, but not without one more good scratch behind the pup's ear. "If you want," the boy offered, "_we_ can go for a walk instead." Boney got all huffy puffy, what was this! Pity? The pup wouldn't have for that. _"Thanks but no thanks, I know how you feel about going on walks this early in the morning."_

Lucas let a breath out, which shifted a tuft of messy hair on his forehead. Then, he had an idea. "Fine, be that way. I was plannin' on going out anyway though... there's no way I could sleep even if I went back to bed." With that, Lucas stood and headed for the door, despite being fully dressed in pajamas. Boney rose with panic. _"W-wait! It's dangerous out there. I'll come along too so I can protect you." _Lucas smiled modestly at his victory then nodded his head once before running upstairs to change before heading out.

A simple red and yellow striped shirt and denim shorts were the boy's preferred outfit choice, along with a pair of white knee-high socks and pale orange sneakers. Lucas examined himself in the mirror briefly, then turned to leave--but just as he did, his toe tapped the baseball, causing it to roll towards his bed. _What the...?_ Hadn't that all just been a figment of his imagination? Was it not just another illusion caused by his odd telepathic ability? Lucas picked up the ball and examined it. It certainly _felt_ real, he observed, and finally decided to place it in his rucksack, which he slung over his shoulder as he headed out the door. For the time being however, Lucas would just focus on getting through the day. He quickly combed his hair back, then headed back down to fetch Boney.

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Tazmilly could be described in so many ways. It was big and it was small, it was friendly, it was calm. Everyone lived there together, happily, peacefully, completely hidden away from what was out there. Whatever "out there" was. From sparkling ocean waters, the cause of the sweet-salty breeze in the air, to the lush woods abound of Sunshine forest, the residents of Tazmilly had everything they could possibly need on that one, little-big, island. It was so many things and more; It was home. More than anything, it was home. No one knew anything besides it.

The walk into town was always an autonomous one. Whether it was groceries, or errands, or some random inclination, the trip was always the same, and it was always quite long. But sometimes it was short. The pathway memorized from a thousand trips before, Lucas and Boney followed the cobblestone path towards the town square, only to stop and rest once they arrived, as was their normal routine. Despite the long walk from their ranch, Boney wasn't tired in the least--but whenever he took the fainthearted Lucas on a walk he took into consideration how low his human friend's stamina was and insisted they take a break at a nearby bench.

Lucas was wiping his forehead when he sat down, only worn out enough to break a little sweat. A chill went through him when the palms of his hands touched the cool wood of the bench, slightly damp with early morning dew, and he sighed quietly while taking in his surroundings. The town was still chilly in the morning hour, and fairly quiet at the time of day as well. A few people passed by here and there, but Lucas hardly took notice of them. Boney had been sniffing around the ground, until finally he found a spot to focus on.

_"If you'll excuse me one moment, this bench does NOT smell quite right. I need to take care of that right away."_ Lucas half-smiled as Boney strolled around the object to "take care of business", but was practically off in his own world by that point. It was nothing out of the ordinary for him to be consumed by his own thoughts and ponderings. But today he felt an especially strong pull towards that world, which he could perhaps only blame on his still groggy state, and the odd "illusion" he experienced earlier that morning.

"Hey Boney?" The pup returned to his human friend's side and scratched at his collar, muttering a telepathic _"What's up?"_ before actually peering up at full attention. The boy opened his mouth several times, struggling to find words, but he quickly realized he couldn't very well form a question, or sentence, or whatever it was he was trying to form, while all his thoughts were jumbled and unclear as they were. Boney whimpered, instantly picking up on the boy's dolefulness. He was idly playing with the strap of his bag, head hanging low, eyes fixed on his own two hands. Boney's sixth sense was high and tuned, but even he couldn't quite figure out what the problem was. He caught several drifting thoughts here and there; concerns about his family; his mother, his father, his _brother_. As well as some other normal things he had to deal with from day to day. The canine could sense something much deeper, but it was something incomprehensible. That is, without some conscious elaboration on Lucas's part, it was. For the moment, it seemed he was not, or simply could not explain what was irking him deep down inside. Boney wasn't sure what to do, especially considering Lucas's exact emotion was difficult to determine at that moment. So he chose to offer the same kind of comfort Lucas offered him earlier that day. Standing on his hind legs, the dog placed his muddy paws on Lucas's knees, to which he scoffed, but his squeaky protest was cut off by the pup licking his face over and over. "B-Bo---" The boy giggled as he threw his head back, his best attempt to avoid the floppy wet tongue. "Boney!!" He couldn't contain his laughter. It really tickled after all! "Knock it off!"

As if on cue, a peculiar pair spotted and quickly approached them to make idle chatter.

The smile on the boy's face slowly gave way when he realized it was none other than Mrs. Mouthy Molly (doubtfully her real name, but that's what Lucas had humbly dubbed her) and her husband, Franklin. As was expected, the man was the first to greet in that oh-so obnoxious manner that Lucas had barely grown accustomed to over the years. "Well well then! If it isn't crybaby Lucas! Haven't seen _you_ in a while." The man's voice was full of mockery and resembled a grumbling bulldog with a sinus cold. Come to think of it, he somewhat resembled one in terms of physical appearance as well. "Now, now dear," the woman chimed in, her tone the female equivalent of his. She, however, looked much more like a squirrel or some similar mammal, and was quite a deal skinnier than he. "That's no way to speak to a boy who's been through as much as him. After all, if _I_ were in your shoes Lucas, I would probably cry every single day too!" she ended with a titter. Lucas pouted partially, though what he actually wanted to do was give her the evil eye. _He... he didn't cry everyday! _In fact, he hadn't cried in at least _3_ days! The woman had some nerve pretending to stick up for him while sneakily poking fun at him just the same. Two adults had some nerve, period, for picking on a kid at all. Lucas was used to other kids bullying him around, but with kids, it was different. Adults knew better.

"What brings YOU out at such an early hour anyway?" Lucas paused before answering the snobbily-presented question. "I-I was just walking Boney..." Boney would have corrected him if he hadn't been busy at the moment. He had found another object that "didn't smell quite right". The woman fluffed one of her carrot-colored curls and decided to change the subject entirely. "So what has that crazy father of yours been up to these days? Is it true he's finally back in the wool business?" Lucas flinched at the indirect insult and began to wonder why they were harassing him with so many questions. "Ah... well, he has been tending to the sheep more lately." Molly got excited. Flint was the only shepherdsman in town, therefore, the only one who was capable of producing wool. More wool meant more clothes, hats, and other lovely accessories that the stickly woman was oh-so fond of. "That's so wonderful to hear!" she exclaimed, clasping her fingers together. "I was so worried about that man. Running off, disappearing for moons at a time, completely abandoning the ranch. It's so good to hear he's come back to his senses." Lucas's expression was unreadable. A moment passed and Molly gasped "OH!", which startled the boy a bit, and reached into her purse. "Lucas, I almost forgot, I have something for you." Lucas, a bit unsure, sat up and extended his hand to the item she was handing him, which seemed to be a flier for something. "They started putting these up all around town today. Once I saw it I immediately thought of you and your father! It really seems like something you two might take some interest in."

Lucas timidly grabbed the flier and glanced it over.

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**H a p p y **:) ** C r o p s !**

Do you like sweet, juicy, corn? Do you love big, plump, sink-your-teeth-in-make-your-mouth-water delicious tomatoes? Do you enjoy massive, firm, perfectly curved cucumbers? So do we. Our passion for sweeter, juicier, and... well, better than average vegetables, led us to creating a whole new generation of crops: Happy Crops.

With our special seeds we took the guess-work out of farming. Don't know when or where to plant? Underwatering? Overwatering? Crops constantly dying out on you for inexplicable reasons? Not a problem! With our special seeds you'll never have to worry about a thing again. Just plant them, wait, and watch them grow into delicious crops in no time! At Happy Farms, we aren't happy until everyone is happy. Get happy with Happy Crops today!

Sincerely yours,

_Happy Farms inc._

_**(Now available at your local Thomas's Bazaar!)**_

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The flier featured a drawing of an obese farmer with an armful of various, rather exaggerated looking vegetables. Lucas wasn't sure _what_ to think about it, but it certainly seemed a bit out of the ordinary. All the same, he had no interest in the advertisement or seeds and he doubted his father would either. Just as he was giving the couple a puzzled look and attempting to return the flier to them, Molly spoke up. "Franklin and I aren't Farmers so this doesn't really apply to us, but after seeing that, we suddenly got the urge to grow some cucumbers of our own! Didn't we, honey?" The man scratched his broad nose and nodded in agreement. "We're on our way to the Bazaar right now. Come to think of it, what are we doing talking to you?? If we don't hurry, they might give all their seeds away!" With that, the polar pair dashed off, leaving Lucas to figure out what to do with the obscene advertisement.

It only took a few seconds for him to crumble it up and toss it in a nearby trashcan. Problem solved!

The remainder of the day was spent idly, as was the way to occasionally spend a day. Lucas and Boney both agreed there was no need to return home immediately, so they explored instead, which led to a few frivolous activities. Upon the mention of a "suspicious-looking hole" the pup uncovered a few days before, a journey part-way up the mountains was in order. Lucas was never big on partaking in such things, a venture out of his room was a rare one, after all, but with a little coaxing the boy could be dragged into even the most frightening of situations... such as poking around a rather fishy-looking hole, which they soon discovered belonged to a snake. They retreated promptly upon said discovery. After that, a trip to the bakery for a mid-day snack and an obligatory stop by the town square Wishing Well left Lucas absolutely beat. Suddenly he understood why his dad had been neglecting Boney his walks these days... it was just so darn exhausting! Lucas quickly discarded the thought with guilt however, hoping not to pass it on to his furry friend, and instead focused on finding something to toss into the well. Boney wagged his tail as he watched the boy dig through his pocket, pause, then fling something small and round into the water. The dog didn't understand the ritual in its entirety, but he did know that an overwhelming amount of hopeful energy surrounded Lucas every time he loitered at that well.

It was late in the day when their farm came into view, the blue sky above turning dim, and house sitting warm and inviting, like carefully crafted colors on a lifesize canvas. All the youth could think about was how badly his legs were aching, and how desperately he wanted to take off his shoes. In fact, that sounded like an excellent plan! As he bent over to untie his shoelaces, Boney ran past him at an alarming speed. Lucas could only assume he was excited to see Flint. Once one lace was undone, he started on the other, then stepped out of his shoes when he was done and scooped them up with one hand. When he rose however, his eyes were met with something unexpected. They opened wide with surprise. The farm he remembered so well, once covered in thick green grass, now, save for the sheeps pasture, had completely tilled ground. A grave look of bewilderment came over the youth as he stood frozen, gazing at countless rows of dirt mounds, aligned uniformly, for planting seeds, he assumed. But why? His father never took interest in growing anything before, so why now? What was he up to? And more importantly, though the logic did not cross his youthful mind, how on earth did the man do all this in the small amount of time they had been gone?

Something was a little off. A little, maybe a lot.

Lucas glanced puzzlingly over the plots as he passed them, then entered the house to look for his Dad and Boney. But even after an extensive search, he found no one. Lazily, he tossed his shoes and bag on the floor, then willed himself and his tired legs over to the kitchen table, where something else caught his eye. What was it? A piece of paper which, upon closer inspection, appeared to be a flier for those ridiculous "Happy Crops", just like the one he'd seen earlier that day.

_Come to think of it_...

When he picked it up, he realized the paper was severely wrinkled--as if someone had crumbled it up into a tiny ball, and then attempted to flatten it back out. The boy furrowed his brows, confused, sleepy, and a bit concerned about where his father and dog had gone off to. Setting the flier back in its place, Lucas headed outside and made his way to the pasture. Small fingers curled around the dark wooden fence as his eyes searched for any sign of his family. A moment later and one of the sheep came into view. Then two, and three. Finally, Boney appeared, barking loudly as he herded them towards the barn. Flint was there too, whistling commands to the dog. A wave of relief washed over Lucas, although he could not discern... _why_ exactly he had felt anxious to begin with. Despite the sticky feeling that something was not quite right, he decided to ignore it and sent a smile and a wave in his dad's direction. Flint didn't mirror the smile nor the wave, but he did approach his son, who hurriedly crawled up and sat atop the fence that separated them.

"Hey dad?" the boy asked as soon as the man stepped within range. "Are you growing something?" Flint gave the child a curious glance, paused, then answered in a low voice. "Yep... decided it was a good time to start growing some vegetables." Lucas still had a funny feeling, but tried to remember it all wouldn't be a bad thing. There certainly would be fewer trips into town for groceries, right? "C-cool... d'you need any help watering them?" Flint removed his hat and wiped his damp forehead with a handkerchief. "No need. Apparantly these don't even need to be watered at all," his father explained, placing his cowboy hat back in place before going on. "I planted these just a few days ago and they're already startin' to sprout."

_...Huh? _

Lucas knew, absolutely, unquestionably that his father hadn't tilled the land days ago. For goodness sake, there was still grass everywhere that very morning! The boy rubbed his eyes hard, to the point that they hurt, then placed his palms at the sides of his head. He jumped off the opposite side of the fence and began to wonder if his mind was playing tricks again.

"Hey dad... I-I'm really tired, so I can't make dinner... okay?" Flint nodded, but seemed generally uninterested as he returned to the flock. Lucas backed away with carefully, slowly, and dizzy when he turned around. When he passed the mounds... there were indeed "sprouts". Little green infant vegetables, peeking up out of the ground as far as he could see. But they hadn't been there before, had they? They weren't. He _knew_ they weren't. Lucas could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he entered the house, and by the time he reached the stairwell they were already streaming down his face. They were wiped away half-heartedly, but once he reached his bed, he was so physically and mentally exhausted that he just let it all out.

Plopping face forward on his bed, he cried himself to sleep, sobs muffled by the pillow. It took only a little while.

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_...What's... wrong with me..!?_


	3. Newcomer

_**Author's Note**: _Ohey. This chapter would have been a lot sooner, but I've been busy as heck working on cosplay stuffs and workin' and all that REALLY, REALLY FUN STUFF. Writing this story is actually fun though. It's definitely coming out a LOT more humorous than I originally intended, but hey, Mother 3 is dark and funny, so maybe I can try to portray that as best I can. Maybe?? Well, enjoy.

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N e w c o m e r

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_The sunflowers... they're so... pretty..._

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_H E Y . . ._

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_I wanna stay here forever... and ever... feels so..._

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_W A K E . . ._

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_With... the sunflowers... ever... and... I...._

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_U P . . . !_

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_Wh... who's... screaming at me...? Ah..._

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_"IT'S MORNING! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, IT IS MORNING. COCKLE. DOODLE. DOO."_

Bloodshot eyes flew open at the asinine screaming coming from outside. It took only a moment to transition from dream to reality, and Lucas realized the wailing was none other than that darn Rooster from Biff's farm! Why did he keep wandering over here?? Nevermind the fact that it took an hour and a half to get from Biff's farm to Flint's. That feathered buffoon made his rounds through Tazmilly every single morning just to serve as the town's most annoying alarm clock. Being the late-riser he was, this obviously displeased Lucas. Sitting up with a grunt, Lucas kicked his blanket off him and hopped out of bed. He dashed down the stairs in such a hurry one might think there was a fire or something. Alas, the look on his face said everything. He was just mad. Very, very mad.

"Get out of here!! Shoo!!" The young blond waved his arms as he ran at the feathered creature as it stood mockingly in the very center of their yard. Startled, the rooster began flapping its wings uncontrollably and jumped several feet into the air, then promptly retreated as Lucas charged after him. _"GOOD, YOU'RE FINALLY AWAKE!!" _the bird shouted needlessly, half-flying and half-running on his skinny chicken legs_. "SEE YOU TOMORROW!!"_

As soon as the bird fluttered from view, the boy stopped, placed his hands on his knees, and panted heavily to regain his breath after the rigorous chase. Why did mornings always have to be such an ordeal? It was ridiculous. Nevertheless, Lucas learned to deal with such tribulations. As long as he got to go back to bed, everything was tolerable. As he turned around to do just that, he took notice of the dirt mounds once again. This time however, there were far few, and the ones that were there had no sprouts like they did the night before. Gradually, it became more and more clear that the previous experience had indeed been an illusion of some sort. For the sake of his sanity, he had to believe that. The boy blinked, then took a few steps towards the dirt piles with his feet bare. His pajamas were loose on him; they had recently been handed down to him from his father--since he had grown out of his old ones. Taking his slightly too-long sleeve, Lucas wiped his nose then bent down over one particular spot in the ground. The soil was dark and soft, and he could tell just from glancing at it that a seed had been planted there. Well, that also and the fact that he had a feeling. A shy hand was extended, fingers brushing the dirt ever so gently. Enough so that it actually tickled. True, he had initially been a bit unnerved by his father's hasty and ill-fitted decision to plant crops out of the blue like he did, but being the plant and animal lover that the boy was, it was impossible to not be excited for the chance to converse with a new, beautiful lifeforce. So silently he stood, eyes falling shut, mind hallowing. The breeze blew gently on his face, calming, soothing, he heard whispers in the air. He had to tune them out though, knowing they weren't the ones he was trying to hear. Imagining the little green sprouts, the seedlings in the shallow earth, he asked them softly, "How are you?". Then listened intently for an answer.

And what he heard... _he heard..._

"Son." The deep voice startled Lucas half out of his wits, but despite that, he kept his balance.  
"D-dad!" Lucas glanced up to see his father towering over him, a hoe perched in one hand, and a small bag gripped firmly in the other. . "...Morning," was all the man managed to say, surprised at the sight of his son that early in the morning. But he didn't question why. Lucas was up at a decent hour for once. That was a good thing!

"O-oh, good m-morning," Lucas stuttered, little heart pattering as he looked away from his father's stern, intimidating face. He then stood up. Though he half-expected his dad to ask what on earth was he doing up at that hour, the man just walked past him and started tilling more of the ground. Once Flint stirred the soil, he kneeled down, made a hole in the dirt with his finger, reached in his bag, and placed a single seed in the center before covering it with the loose dirt. A minute or so had passed before Lucas realized he'd become absorbed in watching his father, and snapping to, he decided to ask for some clarification.

"What are you doing...?" Flint was a bit annoyed by the question as the answer was plain as the nose on his face--which by the way, was a very obvious and profound nose--but he did answer without stopping his work. "I'm planting these vegetable seeds." Lucas muttered a small "Oh," to that response, and went on to say "Um... didn't you start doing this a few days ago?"

Now _that_ got the man's attention. Flint completely stopped what he was doing to look at the child. Lucas felt a chill go down his spine.

"...No, I just started this morning," Flint said flatly, scratching his head. "...You eat somethin' weird lately?" Lucas shook his head quickly, and said in a small, nervous voice "N-nevermind" as he backed away.  
Flint, although an active participator in distant parenting, could not NOT take notice of Lucas's odd behavior, especially lately, especially today. But he just raised a brow as always and played it off as puberty. He must have been awkward and downright strange at that age too, right...? Funny thing, he couldn't remember. But he hoped he was right.

There was no sense in dawdling about any longer, so Lucas turned around and headed back for the house. Might as well get some sleep now that the Rooster was gone!  
"Lucas, where are you going?" Lucas froze and twitched, knowing his father wasn't even looking at him.  
"Um...I-I was going back to bed..." He didn't turn around, but after a moment, his father was glancing back at him with that "You've got to be kiddin' me, boy" look on face. Lucas didn't have to turn around to see it, he just knew. Shoulders slumping with defeat, he sighed, then mumbled "...I'm gonna make some breakfast..." and shuffled sullenly into the house.

.

_"Hey! Are we going back to my bench?"_ Boney asked while running back and forth in front of the blond boy. The pup was really hyper today, perhaps due to the hearty helping of scraps he got that morning. Lucas stepped variably, wide carefree strides as he and Boney enjoyed yet another morning walk. It wasn't so bad, especially with a belly full of food, but even so, Lucas was unsure how he would adjust if being... well, _conscious_, during the morning hours was to become a routine.  
_"Hey Lucas, what'dya say we go back and see if that snake is still up in the mountain? I was thinking about it all night, I couldn't even sl--"_ Boney stopped, mid-thought, and ran over to what seemed to be a frog. As he sniffed it wildly Lucas caught a few drifting thoughts from both creatures:_ "Is this food? Who are you... why I never!" _to which he smiled, and clasped is hands behind his back. As he watched his curious pup feel up the green amphibian with his nose, he felt someone walk by him--so he stepped out of the way promptly, half-glancing at them as they walked by, then back to Boney.

_...Wait._

Lucas did a double, then a triple-take at the stranger who passed him by. A boy, baseball cap, dark hair, baseball bat over his shoulder, and--_and it was him!_ Lucas's jaw dropped incredulously, not sure what to think. It didn't cross his mind that it might be another illusion as he finally unfroze and ran after the boy.

"H-hey!" he called after him, just as he turned a corner. Lucas swung around that same corner seconds later, kicking up dirt as he slid and nearly fell. But as feared, the boy with the baseball cap was no where to be seen. Again. Lucas bit down on his tongue, hard, with frustration. He gazed on blankly, the marketplace in plain view, watching the townsfolk wandering about. Almost as if he was hoping the illusion would materialize before his eyes once more, becoming real.

But it didn't. It never did. Lucas sighed shortly, turned around, and instantly regretted it when he saw who was heading his way. Not _them_ again...!

"Well if it isn't weepy little Lucas! Up with the birds again this morning I see." Molly and Franklin didn't seem to care that Lucas's honest expression was that of absolute distress.  
"Oh! Speaking of birds, a little birdie told me that your father decided to take up some Happy crop farming after all!" Lucas said nothing. Molly went on. "Franklin and I planted ours yesterday as well. We're _so_ excited! Oh I just wish they would grow already!" Lucas didn't even want to pretend like he was interested.  
"We're going to have a FULL luscious GARDEN of vegetables. We'll be able to make ALL kinds of salads and vegetable platters and we'll have parties and invite EVERYONE in town. Of course, OUR vegetables will be the best. My, we should hold a contest and--" The snotty woman's look of pride turned to a look a bewilderment as she felt something hot and... _wet_... against her ankle. Lucas quickly glanced down, and for a moment, his face matched hers, then shifted to something much more chipper. Boney was peeing on her.

"OH MY WORD!! Get away!! _You filthy creature!!_ Don't you have any control of your animal??" Lucas couldn't help but hold his belly in a fit of giggles, the woman stumbling away from the yellow stream and shaking the bottom of her ugly dress spastically. Frank grabbed hold of his wife and spat back a "_HUMPH_," at the pair, then went on to say "Nothing but a _dirty brats_, you _and_ your dog!" With that, they both twirled around, noses pointed directly at the sky, and began their strut in the opposite direction. But then Molly turned back around only to shout, "_By the way_," she began, her tone thick with mockery and exasperation. "A _little birdie_ told me we'll be getting new neighbors. You and that _mutt_ best not scare them off with your foul behavior!!" They then stomped away, for real this time.  
Lucas glared at the back of the woman's head, nearly intense enough that one might assume he was attempting to pierce straight through it. _Humph_, he thought sourly. Why exactly did this "little birdie" choose to tell her everything anyways? Lucas was left in a less-than-peachy mood after that, but after finding and staring down the wishing well, as he had done so many times before, he felt a sense of calm sweep over him. Boney remained silent, slowly swishing his tail back and forth as he watched the contemplative boy become entranced with the magic waters below.

_"What does 'new neighbors' mean, anyway? We've never had 'new' ones before. Everyone was already here for so long..."_

Boney scratched his ear with his hind leg and responded to Lucas's wordless question, even though it was not directed towards him.

_"I don't know. Sounds kinda fishy if you ask me. Mmmm... speaking of fish, why don't we go up to the lake and wrangle some up for dinner??"_ Lucas half-smiled at the dog's enthusiasm, but he just wasn't up for another adventure today. His feet and legs were even more sore today than they were yesterday!

"That sounds fun n' all Boney, but I think I just feel like reading today..."

A quick exchange of thoughts and it was agreed that Lucas would go to the Library, and Boney, who never really understood what all the hub bub about those paper bricks was, would go off to do canine-ly things, and they would meet back at the square a few hours from then. The building was just off the town square and bore a large green sign with the words "Tazmily Bookery". Lucas visited often and could melt away hours effortlessly by emerging himself into the stories he found. Besides story books, he was also very fond of the cookbooks and do-it-yourself books. It was secretly a goal of his to someday read every single book in the entire shop. He would never say that out loud. People would think it was a stupid goal, especially since so few read books around here, but to Lucas, it would be quite an achievement. Regardless, he had a long way to go. The boy was a slow reader, after all.

"Good morning... L...Lucas??" The old man who owned the shop was absolutely baffled to see the groggy-eyed boy awake at the early hour of _10 am_, but all the same, he did not question him. It was probably the fault of that rooster of Biff's who had been causing a ruckus lately, waking the entire town up before sunrise. Whipper snapper.

"Morning," Lucas replied in a small, cheerful voice, without making eye contact with the old bookkeeper, then went on to search for a paperback treasure.

It was odd; while Lucas could hear and feel things from people, animals, and plants--living, breathing objects, he sometimes picked up similar perceptions from completely inanimate objects. Like books. It made no sense, he could not explain it, and he knew no one besides him could feel these things. So he never spoke about it.  
The telepathic energy that flowed through him as he swept his fingers over the books was enthralling; knowing each book had been touched and read by someone else before, and before being read, it had been written with all of the heart of a person, and before being written, it had been a tall, majestic tree. All the stages and energy that had gone into each and every page. Sometimes it was a good feeling. Sometimes it was overwhelming, and even bad. Nevertheless, it did not deter him from checking out books every single week. They always taught him so many new things and helped him escape from the real world. Also, deep down, he hoped someday he would come across a book that explained everything he was going through. He hadn't yet, but maybe someday.  
In the meantime, a particular story book caught his eye. It was tall, nearly twice the height of a normal book, thin, and practically calling his name, so off the shelf and into his arms it went. Lucas pressed the pale purple colored book against his chest as he carried it over to a table near the window, sat down, and opened it up to see what was inside. The tall pages were plastered in beautiful oil style paintings, the first being a castle with pointed, crystal towers, along with writing that described a prince and his unending journey to find the one to be his princess. Lucas turned the page and admired a drawing of a handsome white steed dressed in royal gear. It was the prince's loyal stallion. He quietly envied him, having always wished their farm was big enough to carry even just one horse. Lucas would have loved it so.

"A kid's book, huh? You must be younger than I thought." Lucas slammed the book shut, startled by the comment and the sudden feeling of someone looming over his shoulder.  
"W-w-what?" he stuttered as he turned towards the person, but embarrassment soon became shock. It was HIM! Again, the boy with the baseball cap! This time he had nothing in his hands, and his line of sight was focused on the now shut story book.  
"Hey, you didn't have to stop," said the dark-haired boy as he reached for the book. Lucas immediately withdrew his hands and allowed him to take it. He didn't say a word as he watched him lift the book and open it, flip through the pages neutrally, then shut it after he grew bored. Lucas was unaware that his own jaw was hanging open in awe.

_Am I seeing things again? Is he really there? _Lucas questioned himself. His eyes hadn't been very trustworthy as of late.

"Mind if I sit here?" The boy sat down with a smile on his face, then extended his hand across the table after a long pause and no answer from the other boy. "Name's Ness. Me n' my parents just moved here." Lucas sat stiffly, eyes quickly shifting from the boy's hand to his face, back to the hand, and then down at the table and book before him. After a moment of awkwardness, Ness must have realized the gesture was either unfamiliar or unwanted, because he withdrew and moved the same hand to scratch the back of his head. Lucas was too busy staring at the table, his hands, and the book to notice the brief look of uneasiness on the black haired youth. Ness peeled his backpack off his shoulder and looked at Lucas several times, as if expecting him to say something. Lucas felt the expectant tension and seemed to be connecting the dots in his head, but he still said nothing, his social etiquette a bit on the lacking side. Finally, Ness asked "What about you? " and pulled a brown paper bag out of his backpack.  
"Oh!" The blond flushed somewhat. "L-Lucas..." Ness's face seemed to light up for a moment, then he began removing the contents of his bag--a lunch that seemed to have been prepared by a parent.  
"Nice to meet you, Lucas!" Lucas smiled shyly, unable to lock eyes with the newcomer. His fingers wrapped around the book which he could no longer focus on, what with one of his "illusions" suddenly becoming much more real. But now he couldn't think, or even remember why he wanted to see him again save to prove that he was indeed real and not simply a figment of his imagination. He idly watched the boy pull a sandwich out of some sort of clear bag. It was cut diagonally in two. Ness caught the boy looking and decided to offer him one half.  
"Hungry? You can have half of my sandwich if you want. It's just peanut butter and jelly, so I don't care." Lucas shook his head instantly at the offer. What was he doing eating in here anyway? It wasn't even lunchtime! A quick glance up at the standing clock and Lucas proved himself wrong. It actually was noon. Had he really been there that long...?

Ness shrugged and took a bite, chewed it a few times, and then continued to talk to the so far considerably unresponsive boy. It seemed he was like his father in one respect after all--it took a lot to get him to talk.  
"Yeah, it's not my favorite either," he said with a partially full mouth. He swallowed before continuing. "I take what I can get though, you know? Especially when my parents are totally distracted like they are now. We just got into our new house so there's a lot to do." Lucas nodded, looking off elsewhere. Ness took another bite and swallowed.

"So you've probably lived here a long time, right? Where's the school?" Lucas was baffled at the question. He hadn't heard that word before.  
"...Sch.. School?" Ness took yet another bite of his sandwich and nodded. "Yeah, my parents sent me to find it, heh heh, since I obviously can't go to my old one anymore," Ness said between chews, then gestured towards the entrance of the building. "I _thought_ it would be close by since the school in my hometown was close to the Library and all... but then I realized it wasn't." Lucas looked anxious. Ness snickered when he caught on a moment later.  
"You... you know, school? Where you go to learn stuff?" Lucas shook his head. The dark-haired boy dropped his jaw. "You don't have a school here? Are you serious??" Lucas was beginning to feel very, very strange, and started to plan an escape.  
"How can you read, then?" Lucas frowned, taking the question as an insult.  
"My grandma taught me!" With that, the blond stood up. He didn't know who this kid was or why he was there, or _why_ he was _bugging_ him like a pesky little bee, but he knew for some reason, being in his presence was horribly upsetting.  
"H-hey, where you going?" Lucas didn't answer as he snatched the big fairy tale book and quickly walked over to the front counter.  
"I-I'm taking this, okay?" The old man nodded and waved his hand dismissively, without even looking up from the book he was reading, and then the boy darted out the door. Ness watched the hasty departure, but all he could do was mutter a quiet "Sorry..." and return to his lunch.

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Pale yellow eyes stared at the ceiling above them endlessly. Lucas couldn't remember how long ago he'd gotten home, nor did he recall the last time he ate, which he realized when his tummy began grumbling like a boar. Something from the encounter that day left him feeling confused, although everything should have made more sense now. That kid was one of the "new neighbors" Molly had mentioned, and that was why he kept seeing him lately. It wasn't just his mind playing tricks. The revelation should have allowed Lucas to dwell on it no longer. There were so many other, more important things to worry about. So, for the time being, he would keep the thought of newcomers and... _him_, out of his head. There was no reason to think about it. Not at all.

_...I forgot to give him back his ball..._

Lucas lifted the borrowed library book off his sidetable and stared at the cover, trying to ignore the random thoughts that kept sneaking into his mind. _Where did he come from, anyway? Why don't we have that "school" thing he talked about? Why did he keep talking to me like that..? _Lucas shook his head and tried to focus on the text inside the book, which he opened brashly.

_One day the prince wandered into an enchanted forest with his white stallion... hey, just like me n' Boney did yesterday! Huh, I wonder why he isn't back yet. I hope he isn't waiting for me at the square. Mmm... I'm so hungry... maybe... I should have tried that sandwich that kid offered... b-but nobody ever offered me anything before. Was I really suppose' to just take it? Why did he call me a kid for reading a book like this anyways? I wonder how old he is..._

The blond was frustrated when he realized he was thinking about him, _again_, after trying so hard not to! But he convinced himself that it was just because he had something that belonged to him, and therefore he was concerned about giving it back. Until then it would be hard to forget. Until then, he would have to find a more appropriate distraction. Sitting up and crawling out of bed, Lucas then decided making dinner would have to do.

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"Dad." Silence. "Dad. What are you doing?" Ness dropped his bag and shoes near the door, then approached his father with mild curiosity. The brown haired man barely regarded him as he pulled a lamp out of a box and set it unsymmetricaly on a sidetable, along with a pair of picture frames.  
"Oh, I know, I know. This is usually your mother's job..." _And she'll probably have to come back and fix everything you decorate, _Ness thought squarely in response. "but until she has the baby I want her to stay in bed, rest, and not worry about any of the unpacking!" The boy's father stepped back, adjusted his round glasses, and admired his work. Ness watched on without emotion. The man then reached down into another box and removed a black telephone, but as he went to plug it in, a predicament arose.

"Ah... Oh... Hm..." Finding a place to plug in a telephone was a tricky task when there were no outlets in the walls. Someone clearly failed to mention Tazmilly had never heard of telephones, or electricity for that matter.

"Say, son, what do we do about this?" Ness blinked as his dad turned to him, cords in one hand and phone in the other. _Now_ how were they going to order pizza?


	4. Brother

**_Author's Note_: **Holy-- this chapter turned out longer than I thought it would. Weird because it started out very filler-like (I forgot what the point of the chapter was LOL). But I hate filler so I remembered and fixed it. It's funny, cuz I try and remember what it was like to be a preteen/teen when writing about Ness and Lucas. You think and act a lot differently. But it wasn't THAT long ago, and I still have silly fights with my mom about food and stuff, so maybe I'm just a big kid and shouldn't find it to be such a challenge... but YES. Please do enjoy.

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B r o t h e r

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"Did you hear we have new neighbors? They arrived in the middle of the night on a boat."

"Did you hear we have new neighbors? They arrived on some flying contraption this morning."

"Did you hear we have new neighbors? Yes? Funny, 'cause I didn't."

Flint stared blankly. First the Happy Crops, now this? It was clear the townsfolk had an obsession with fads. Not that _that_ was any surprise to the two-fisted farmer. After living with these people for a lifetime, he should have been used to it by now, and apparently he _was_, considering how nonchalantly he passed by those who attempted to get him involved in their idle gossip, and headed straight into the woods without breathing so much as a "Hello" to any of them.

Boney jogged alongside Flint, thrilled the man was finally back to his old routine now that all the crops had been planted. Sure, they still didn't go on clamorous adventures like they used to, but Boney couldn't care less if they were off to fight some dangerous monster or if they were on a trip to the market.

Chirping birds could be heard echoing vividly throughout the sunshine forest. The sun was high in the sky. It was a beautiful day. Flint kept his head low as he made his way across a pathway memorized, while Boney kept up joyfully by his side. They stopped at a sturdy wooden cabin, two-stories high and nearly 3 rooms wide. As expected, Lighter, an old rival and "friend" of his, was outside splitting wood. Boney barked and sat down by the gate, tail swishing vigorously, while Flint walked up the path and greeted the other man with a nod.

"Hey Flint!" Lighter responded jollily and stopped his work right then and there. "How's it going? Haven't seen you in a while!"  
Flint tipped his hat and replied with "I've been busy," then stopped in his tracks when he realized that Lighter had, evidently, been busy too. On either side of the cabin and in the front, several plowed patches could be seen, all with little green leaflings popping up out of the ground. Even Lighter, the town's lumberjack, had decided to hop on the Happy Crop bandwagon?

"...Took up some farming?" Flint observed, a bit miffed by his "friend"s new hobby. At least when _he_ decided to plant the crops it made _sense. _He _was_ one of the only two people in town who actually lived on a farm, after all.

"Oh yeah!" Lighter wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and set his trusty axe down. "It's weird, I never planted a thing in my life and look at me now!"

Flint looked at him humorlessly.

"Whoever invented these sure were smart. Even a lumberjack like me can have fresh vegetables now. We could even have stew! It's just waiting for them to grow that's so dang hard." Flint nodded once, and a lengthly silence between the two of them followed.

"So anyways! What brings you all the way out here? Come inside and I'll get us some brandy."

"No thanks, Lighter." Flint quickly declined. "I actually was just stopping by to see if you could do me a favor."

"Sure! What did you have in mind?" Lighter was a little too willing to help and that made Flint uncomfortable.

"I was hoping to get some woodwork from you." Flint loosened his neckerchief then continued. "Boney's been getting into my... uh... garden, lately." Flint eyed the pup, who in turn submitted a guilty whimper. Flint then turned back to Lighter.

"I'd like you to build a fence for me." Lighter lit up, excited by the idea of a new project.

"No problem! If you help me carry the wood I'd be glad to help you out with that."

"Sure. Thanks." After another pause Flint turned around and started to leave. Man, that guy sure didn't waste time with small talk, Lighter noted, as he reached for his axe again.

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The dirt mounds gradually increased in numbers until they had completely filled the farm. Lucas returned to his regime of sleeping in late and leaving the house rarely, often watching his father hard at work from the kitchen window--that is, whenever he finally woke up in the morning (afternoon). Little green plants were sprouting everywhere now, and the sight tickled something inside of him that drew out a smile.

All of a sudden, a beautiful bird with bright blue feathers perched on the windowsill. She had something lodged in her beak; a letter. Lucas drew back for a moment, but smiled once he knew the bird meant no harm.

_"Hello! I have a letter for Flint, but he doesn't seem to be here at the moment. Would you be a dear and give this to him when he returns?" _

Lucas nodded once and held out his hand. The bird carefully dropped the letter into the open palm, turned its head sideways, then hopped away and took flight once more. Lucas turned the envelope over to find the words "From Alec", and instantly knew who it was from. His grandfather, whom he only saw a few times a year, if even that.

Lucas glanced over his shoulder and then out the window. There was indeed no sign of Flint, likely gone to town to run errands, so he knew he should leave the letter on the kitchen table for him to find later. A boy's curiosity was much stronger than the knowledge of what was _supposed_ to be done, however, so instead he opened it and began to read.

_Son in law,_

_We haven't heard from ya in a while. Don't you know how to write? Oh... right. You don't. Well anyway, how's the... uh... sheep shearing coming along? Bah, we know you won't reply to this (because you can't, what with yer not knowing how to write and all), but me and your mother-in-law decided to catch you up on everything that's been going on lately so you know. _

_Well, the farm's been going pretty good! The cow's milk still gives us gas so we just send it into town, but we keep the eggs and bacon. By the way, we now have 4 pigs, 15 chickens, 2 cats, and 4 big black birds on our farm. Man is it a pain taking care of all of them, especially since Annamarie's gone senile and spends all of her time harassing lizards and sleeping on the roof. Oh yeah! That reminds me, apparently a new family came to town--I know, this is probably the first you've heard of this and it must be SHOCKING news to bear (it sure was for me)--but yeah the wife of that new family was knocked up and she ended up going into labor last night. You shoulda seen how huge she was! She probably woulda popped if she waited any longer. Your mother in law has always been the only midwife in town so of course she had to deliver the baby. What? I know what you're thinking. Why would I let my senile wife do such a thing? Well, Flint. Childbirth ain't rocket science. You tell the woman to push, out comes the baby, snip, wipe, and voila! Instant bab--_

Lucas didn't finish reading the letter. With a somber face, he tossed the paper onto an empty chair and never mentioned it to his father. Why did he have to be related to such a dumb old man? Lucas didn't understand why he even bothered to keep in touch. All he ever did was say mean things that annoyed both him AND his father.

After that, Lucas decided to go for a walk. Boney was already gone, so he went alone.

On his way into town, he kept his eyes glued to the gravel road. Seeking, searching. For that perfect little _something_ that would maybe, just maybe, grant his wish that day. About a mile into the hike, his quest came to an end. A tiny stone, about the size of his thumbnail, round and grey-blue, stuck out to him from all the rest. Not for any special reason--it perhaps was just one of those things kids did. With a smile, he locked the pebble in his fist and continued on to town, at a much quicker pace than before.

The marketplace was bustling as it always was in the afternoon. Lucas barely noticed; he was too busy thinking about what he would wish for that day. He approached the well as soon as he neared the square. To his dismay, as he lifted his gaze he realized someone was already there. And it wasn't just any someone. It was _him._

_"Wh... what is he doing in my spot? Is he making a wish too?"_

The boy with the red and blue baseball cap was hunched over the well and was staring into the water below. Lucas stood apprehensively in place, moving one fisted hand over the other as he clutched against his abdomen. Unsure, he did not know whether to go over and do as he originally planned, or to simply turn around and try coming back later when no one was there. As he mulled each idea over in his mind, the intruder turned his head, and it must have been just enough to catch sight of him out of the corner of his eye--because he turned all the way around right after. Once Ness knew who it was, he waved him over, and Lucas reluctantly complied.

"Hey Lucas," Ness said in a cheery tone, then glanced down at his aquantance's fisted hand. "What've you got there?" Lucas instantly pressed his hands closer to his chest at the recognition.

"It... i-it's... um..." Lucas's line of sight trailed off to one side. Ness didn't let up on the curious tension that continued to build up with every passing second.

"C'mon, I wanna see," he insisted playfully. Lucas finally gave in by extending his updrawn fist, and warily spread small fingers to reveal the off-shaded stone. Ness seemed surprised, though not for the reason that Lucas assumed he would be. He was simply confused why the kid bothered concealing such a thing in the first place.

"A rock? What's that for?" Ness continued to pry. Lucas didn't appreciate the nosiness at all. It felt as though he was being interrogated, as though he had done something _wrong_ by having it.

"Well... i-i-it's f-for... i-it's so I can make a... a-a wish." Lucas painstakingly admitted. "In the w-well I mean." Lucas blushed when Ness laughed.

"_Wishes?_ Haven't you heard it's impossible to change fate?"

The taller boy seemed arrogant as he placed a hand on his narrow hip. Lucas began feeling more self conscience by the moment, even without knowing the meaning of the word "fate", even without ever meeting his adversary's gaze. In an instant, he was ready to turn on heel and run all the way back home, but before he had the chance to, the pesky boy spoke again.

"Here, try this." Digging through one of his pockets, he found a flat, shiny object and placed it in the smaller boy's palm. "These work a lot better for wishes, believe me!"

Lucas examined the object with his eyes, silently wondering what it was. He had never seen anything like it before. It was almost like a button, but much flatter, heavier, and made of some kind of metal material. It also bore a design of somesort.

"It's a quarter. The more the coin's worth, the better your chances for the wish to come true." Lucas failed to understand the concept of the foreign object, but accepted the offer all the same. He dropped the pebble into his pocket, then stepped up to the well with the coin pressed between both his thumbs and his forefingers. There was a long pause as he glanced over his shoulder, hoping and waiting for the older boy to leave. Ness stayed however, only a few steps away. Lucas was embarrassed, but he decided to make a wish even in the presence of another. Shutting his eyes gently, he worded the wish in his mind, then tossed the strange thing into the well. He didn't open them again until he heard the "kerplunk" sound it made when it hit the water. Once it did, he took a few steps back, and caught the other boy looking at him expectantly.

"Well?" he pressed. "What did you wish for?" Lucas looked him straight in the eye.

"I can't say." Ness seemed to accept the answer even without an explanation, as he quickly shrugged and changed the subject entirely.

"Well, you wanna go grab a bite or somethin'?" Ness slipped his hands in his pocket, then went on. "Things back at home have been crazy with moving and the baby coming all at once... I'm just trying to stay out of it as much as I can." Lucas appeared to be moved by something Ness said.

"Baby," he repeated, recalling the letter from his grandfather. "Is... your mama okay?" Ness raised both brows and looked at his young neighbor.

"Oh yeah, she's fine now. She looked really bad for a while but I guess that's normal."

Lucas watched the boy's face as he spoke with an unsettlingly vacant expression upon his own. Ness wondered if he was actually looking _at_ him, or straight through him. In all honesty, it was a little creepy. He decided to ask him a question.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters...?" Lucas blinked a few times, as if trying to grasp the question. His face then softened, he nodded, and timidly replied.

"Uh huh." Ness waited for something else. Anything else. But Lucas did not elaborate, instead, he answered the question previous.

"I have to do my chores." Ness did not seem disappointed or affected by the answer at all. He waved farewell and they both turned and walked in opposite directions.

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When Boney and Flint returned home they found Lucas sitting on the front porch, feet planted pigeon-toed in the dirt. His dad acknowledged him as he walked past by placing a firm hand on his head, just enough to muss his hair, then headed into the house to eat the meal that had been prepared.  
Boney didn't go into the house. Instead he sat down before and touched his muzzle to the boy's chin, who pulled back in response. He half-smiled and placed his hand over the pup's snout to push him back affectionately, then returned to staring over the farm impassively.

_"Not now, Boney..."_

The pup whimpered and his wagging tail halted. But there he remained, waiting till Lucas would admit what it was that caused the cloudy energy around him, or until he felt better.

A lot of time went by. Lucas placed his chin in his hands, shifted when he began feeling discomfort, and returned to his original position several times. The entire time, his thoughts were in disarray. Boney couldn't read them. When Lucas finally decided to speak up, the pup was laying down, but not asleep.

"Hey Boney," Lucas caught the dog's attention easily. His ears perked up and he rose instantly.

"Do you... think my brother's dead?" Lucas's tone was gentle and even held a pitch of innocent curiosity. Boney might've thought it strange that the boy asked the question without tears in his eyes, but it made sense. After 5 years of crying, the kid had to be all cried-out.

Boney was unable to answer the question. He had never met the brother, didn't know his scent nor what he looked like. How could he speculate? Boney was just over a year old now and he had only learned of Lucas's brother through the instances he shared with him. Being so young, and a dog no less, prevented him from realizing how morbid it was for a child to be asking that sort of question in the first place. It seemed like only yesterday when he was asking where babies came from and why the world was round. Had so much time passed? Lucas was well on his way to adulthood, even though he had yet to reach his teenage years.

_"Do you think he's still alive?"_ Boney's mirrored question was worded just as innocently as Lucas's. The boy took a moment to absorb it.

"No," he whispered without emotion, realizing something he had not before. Apathetic, he watched the sun set and disappear behind a flock of lush green treetops.

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.

_No. I don't._

_._

_._

_._

_Brother..._

_._

_._

_._

_Why... can't... I feel..._

_._

_._

_._

_. . . y o u . . ? Anymore._

_._

_._

_._

_Why can't I. Why can't I...?_

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.

Ness awoke early by habit, 180 days of school a year having a way of patternising you after all, and shuffled up a short staircase and into the kitchen. The design of the new house still threw him off a bit. The old house had simple architecture, and in fact, was not very different from all the other houses in the old neighborhood. There was a living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. Simple as that. The new house however, was a lot bigger; the living room and kitchen located on the first floor, along with a bathroom, upstairs 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, and then there was one more floor that was built halfway below the ground. There, a short staircase descended into a hallway, where a storage, laundry, and single bedroom could be found. That was where Ness's room was located. It was weird to get used to, but kind of cool at the same time. He had more privacy than before, and he hardly ever heard the baby at night.

_Ung._ The baby. Ness's newborn sister, who had been named 'Tracy' after his mom's favorite Soap actress. Tiny baby Tracy, so precious, barely a week old. The chick didn't shut up. And _boy_, did she have some powerful vocal cords for such a little thing. Come to think of it, Ness should have been thanking his lucky stars that his bedroom was halfway in the ground.

The teenager dragged his feet tiredly into the kitchen, expecting juice and cereal, but hoping for something more elaborate like blueberry pancakes with a side of sausage. Instead, he found nothing. No cereal box, no tall glass of juice, no bowl, and no mom.

_Of course_... it was hard to be grateful for anything when your routine had become so mucked up.

No problem. Ness was a big boy, he didn't need his mother to make him breakfast in the morning. In fact, it was well past due the time he should have been preparing his own meals anyway.

Tired eyes locked on the cabinets above the counter; tired legs brought him there. He opened the left cabinet. Cereal boxes. Ness wasn't sure if he felt like cereal, so he opened the right cabinet. Pretzels and crackers. Delicious snacks, but not really an appetizing breakfast. He shut the right cabinet and opened the left again, stared into it for several moments, then closed it when he decided to try his luck with the fridge.  
After a good 5 minutes of searching, staring, and finding nothing that appealed to him, Ness gave up and went into the living room, where he found his mom sitting beside and hovering over a pink rocker. Her golden hair was flat and greasy, her eyes bore dark circles underneath them, and all in all, she looked downright beat. But as she rocked the cradle softly, it was impossible to miss how unbelievably _happy_ she looked as well.

Ness approached the happy-tired woman, greeting her without lowering his voice.

"Mornin' mom." She didn't look up when her son greeted her. She just kept smiling, and ran a finger over the newborn baby's cheek.

"Good morning, Ness," she whispered sweetly. "Your baby sister looks like an angel when she finally decides to sleep."

Ness looked over at the baby when he heard the comment. Tracy's skin was bright pink and wrinkly, her eyes shut tight, her head bald. Sure, the baby resembled any number of hairless, pink-skinned infant mammals in the world, but an angel? Ness wasn't so sure about that.

"Look at how tiny she is. Can you believe it? Her little hands..." Ness raised a brow as he listened to his mother go on. He watched as she carefully lifted one of his sister's hands, tiny as a baby doll's, then placed it back in place and stroked it gently with her finger. Ness couldn't stand how mushy she was acting all of a sudden--it was NOTHING like her. For goodness sake, she hadn't even turned on the TV she was so obsessed with, not once since they'd moved there! Well... that was partially because they had no electricity, but still!

"Mom... are you gonna make breakfast?" Ness noticed the question disrupted his mother's peace, seeing as she began to frown, but still she failed to tear her eyes away from the "angel".

"Ness, I'm tired." She almost seemed to plead. "Why don't you have the CooCoo puffs that are in there?"

"Mom. I don't feel like CooCoo puffs!"

"You're the one who asked for them," she said sternly, though her voice remained a whisper. Finally she looked at her son. "Go out and get a burger or something then. I can't do everything for you all the time."

Ness was about to argue that he _couldn't _go out because _somebody_ hadn't washed his clothes in a week and now he had nothing clean left to wear. But he knew it was pointless to say anything. She just didn't understand.

Ness went to his room and stayed there until he cooled down. A couple hours later, after digging through a mountain of dirty clothes and fishing out the least-foul-smelling pair of shorts and shirt he could find, he returned to the living room to find his father reading the newspaper on the couch, and his mother sitting beside him, cradling Tracy in her arms. They were quietly discussing something about the odd differences between Tazmilly and their hometown as well as his dad's concern about finding a job, but Ness didn't stick around long enough to catch much. Bag thrown over his shoulders and 3-times-worn socks pulled half-way up his knee, Ness slipped into a red pair of converse, headed out the door, and was a little surprised when no one said "Be home by dinner!"

_"Tch, 'go get a burger', she says. Who the hell eats a burger for breakfast?" _ Ness thought sorely as he walked along the roadside. "_...Actually... that sounds pretty good right about now. Where the heck do you get burgers around here anyway?"_

After wandering around town for about an hour or so, Ness was famished. Nearly to the point of death. In _his_ mind, that is. He had explored every inch of town, or so it felt like. No one seemed to know what he was talking about when he said "Big mac" or "Sliders". He got his hopes up when he saw a guy pulling a cart around, thinking maybe he was selling hotdogs, tacos, _anything _remotely delicious in that "bad for you" kind of way. But all the man wanted to do was "hold onto" his things, and when Ness turned the offer down, he started going on about the philosophy of life and other boring things. After that, Ness collapsed onto a bench under the shade and foraged an old candy bar out of his bag, which he kept on hand in case of an emergency. This, definitely, was an emergency, so he hastily unwrapped the somewhat melted chocolate bar.

From his spot on the bench, he could see the entire square. Including the well, where he had last seen that blond kid several days before. As if on cue, the thought of him led to the sight of him, and out of nowhere he appeared to scoop something up from the middle of the dirt road. The boy looked closely at whatever it was he had cupped in his hands, said a few words, then proceeded to crawl over the shrubbery at the side of the road and held his hands out to a tree. As Ness watched and finished off his last bite, he overheard two men babbling nearby.

"Hey Bob, lookit. There's that one weird kid," said one man.

"Flint's boy," said the other. "He's talkin' to trees again."

"Psh, again?" They both shook their heads judgementally.

Ness looked over at the men and brazenly corrected them.

"He's not talking to the tree. He's talking to the bug." He then stood up and walked over to the subject of gossip. Both men looked at eachother with baffled looks on their faces and grumbled insults under their breath.

"Hey kiddo."

Ness glanced at the tree, and as expected, there was a cicada slowly inching its way up. Lucas frowned, flustered by the sudden interruption.

"I--I'm almost 12 years old. Don't call me that..." Lucas demanded feebly, but he knew the other boy thought he was just a child anyways. Ness turned to him with a snarky smirk on his lips.

"Almost 12?" he repeated "Just a kid!" The expression on the blond became more sad than angry. Although Lucas kept his mouth shut, Ness knew what he wanted to ask. So he answered for him.

"I'm almost 15. So, you're practically a kid to me."

The shorter of the two tensed up, his self esteem dropping severely. He wanted to hide under a rock.

"What do you want...?" he asked quietly, pulling at a loose thread at the hem of his orange striped shirt. Ness, of course, asked about the one thing he couldn't get off his mind at the moment.

"Well, I was just wondering if you knew where I could find a good, cheap, burger." Ness made a gesture with his hands, as if he were holding a hamburger, to put strength into his request. "Or, you know, just some good cheap fast food in general. I'm not that picky."

Lucas's eyes lifted, bewildered by the words Ness used. _"Cheap"?_ he repeated in his mind, wondering what on earth that meant. It sounded like the noise birdies made. But with that definition in mind, absolutely nothing Ness said made sense. And that was not the only term either. "_fast_ food"...? Lucas didn't want to seem dumb, (although it was clearly _Ness _who was the odd one there) so he pretended to have the slightest idea of what he was talking about.

"Um..." He looked off, then pointed in the same direction as his eyes. "Thomas's is pretty good..." It was also pretty much the only option, when it came to food--unless of course you wanted to cook at home, which was what most people did around here most of the time.

"Ok." Ness said with a nod. "Will you show me where it is?"

With a little coaxing, Lucas agreed to show Ness the way. Sometimes he forgot these people were fairly new and therefore knew where nothing was. What it must have been like to have not lived here all your life! Lucas pondered. A bit of wonder grew inside him about how other worlds, places, and people were. Ness was the only one who could answer his questions, but shyness prevented him from asking.  
Neither boy spoke as they made their way to the market. Ness was too famished to speak, while Lucas simply was not one to speak. He was also supposed to be leading the way, but often fell behind, and when he did, for the first time since they had met, officially or otherwise, he took the time to examine the newcomer from head to toe.

Besides being a good foot or so higher than him, Ness possessed many unique traits as well. His pitch black hair was a bit shorter than his own, and looked unwashed. He wore a similar outfit, but the stripes were a bit thicker and a purplish blue paired with yellow instead; his shorts a darker denim. He wore a different brand of shoes, which looked rather strange; the tops taller than a typical comfort shoe, yet shorter and far from the design of any boot he'd ever seen. The rucksack he wore was yellowish in color. That was about all he noticed by the time they arrived.

Inside, Ness explained his ordeal. Thomas made several suggestions, and Ness accepted a couple of cheese sandwiches and a big cookie to suffice for the time being. Lucas took some cheese as well, but passed on the bread and dessert. The older boy was confused when Thomas told him to "just take it", but he left a few paper bills on the counter anyway. If he had known they were just coming to a grocery market, he would have never gotten his hopes up. But lunch was lunch, wasn't it?

"...Is.. that what you wanted?" Lucas asked, inspecting his block of cheese for the perfect place to take a first bite.

Ness lifted his head back as he stuffed a piece of sandwich into his mouth, chewed and swallowed quickly, then shook his head in response.

"Not really, but it's good enough." Ness remained silent after that, practically inhaling his sandwich while they sat outside on the grocer's porch. It was then Lucas took the opportunity to analyze the older boy's frontal features, his face in particular, since he hadn't been able to before without being noticed.

Unlike his own round face, Ness had a profound jawline, and a slender structure. His entire body, in fact, seemed less than plump, but it was difficult to tell with all his baggy clothing.

His eyes were also partially slanted and missing creases on the upper eyelids. For this, and in some other ways as well, he resembled a cat. Lucas also could not shake how... _grown up_ he looked, and it made him feel jealous. He wanted to look grown up too, not just like a little a kid.

Lucas noted the way Ness sat on the wooden porch, his legs spread apart, one bent and the other extended in front of him. He glanced down at his own legs. His posture was very different; knees pressed together, toes pointing inward. Immediately he took a conscience effort to spread his legs apart, pointing his toes outward, and hunched over the same way his acquaintance was. It wasn't a very comfortable way to sit, he mused. Half-way through his second sandwich, Ness glanced over at Lucas, who straightened up instantly.

"You barely touched your cheese," he noticed, eyeing the nibble marks in one corner. Lucas looked down but showed no regard to the comment. There was not a peep between them, save for the chewing and nibbling here and there. Lucas kept his gaze low, feeling the other boy's eyes on him on and off for the next several minutes. Being the one examined did not feel quite so good.

When Lucas heard the other boy crumbling wrapper, he assumed he was finished, but didn't look up to see. Ness decided to break a fairly awkward silence.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Lucas lifted his head to find Ness resting his cheek against one palm, while he eyed his cookie in the other, probably wondering whether to eat it now or save it for later. He didn't wait for a reply. "When your parents told you they were having another kid, what did you do?"

Lucas didn't answer. Ness went on.

"Did you... like... feel anything?" Lucas shook his head, then chose to clarify his situation.

"My brother and I were born at the same time."

Ness's eyes went wide. "Oh! You're twins?" Lucas nodded.

"Then... I guess you don't know." Another brief silence. "I guess... I'll have to try and be a 'good brother', protect her or something. But... I... I dunno. I just don't get it." Lucas was mildly curious, but he said nothing. Ness shook his head and looked off, a bit perturbed. He didn't finish his cookie, and he didn't say anything else. Lucas was the one who broke the silence after that.

"I have to go," he lied. Ness looked at him, then nodded.

"Yeah. I should too." Lucas pulled his bag onto his lap, wrapped up the cheese, and placed it in the bag. Once he did, however, the cheese fell right through a partially visible hole. Lucas looked confused, and upon searching the bag, realized there was nothing in it at all. Not anymore, anyway. Even the baseball he swore he'd return to Ness was gone. When they stood, Ness made him an offer.

"Jeeze, that thing looks like it's a hundred years old. I have a backpack I don't use anymore since I got a new one. If you want, I'll give it to you. It's back at my house though."

Lucas thought the idea over for a long moment. Honestly, he hadn't anything else to do--he simply wanted to escape the awkward tension between them. To be alone. But the offer for a new bag was tempting.

"Is it far away?" Lucas inquired. Ness shook his head.

"Sorta. It's just past the beach." Lucas calculated it would be a bit of a detour, but all the same, he decided to accept.

A small "Okay" and they set off. Ness half-smiled as they did so, pleased to have company to walk home with. The town was boring and it was nice to have someone to talk to... even if that someone had proven considerably unresponsive thus far.

On the trip to Ness's house, the boys made some small talk. Ness mentioned how weird it was having a baby in the house, on top of trying to deal with living in a new town. He didn't say much more than that however, and Lucas said nothing else about his brother. The rest of the trip was quiet.  
When they arrived, Lucas was surprised. The two-story house was beautiful, complete with a fence and even a doghouse outside. Odd, because there was no dog in sight. When they walked inside, he noticed it was a lot different from his own home. Even with some boxes lying around from the move, things were set up nicely. It was cozy.  
Ness told him to "wait there" until he returned a minute later with the promised backpack. It was a dark blue denim, simple rucksack. It was perfect. Lucas immediately set down the old bag and placed what he had, which for now was only a block of cheese, into the new one. As he did that, Ness's mother came into the room with a bundle in her arms. She noticed the stranger's presence after a moment or so, and scolded her son.

"Ness! What are doing bringing a stranger into the house? The baby will get sick exposed to all those germs." Lucas was offended, but remained focused on the item he had just received. Ness rolled his eyes and grunted at his mother, then turned his attention to his father, who stepped out of the kitchen a moment later.

"Dad!" he said, in a whiny voice, as if begging for some understanding.

"Ness," he patted his boy on the shoulder then eyed Lucas, who was still kneeled over his new bag, attempting to fasten it shut. "Who's this?" He asked in a cheerful tone, happy to see Ness had already made a friend.

"This is Lucas, one of our neighbors."

"Wonderful. Nice to meet you Lucas!" Lucas nodded and smiled meekly, then stood up to sling the bag over his shoulder.

"So, my boy. I realize you must be feeling left out with all the attention the baby's been getting." Ness raised a brow at his father, unsure about that "realization" being a fact or not. "And I was thinking that we should go out and get some good, cheap burgers for dinner tonight! Just you and me. Good ol' father and son time!"

"Uh... dad... I hate to break it to you, but this town has no burger places. They haven't even heard of fast food." The news struck his father like a bolt of lightning.

"Wh... WHAT!?" Lucas had begun to block out whatever the two were saying, or... screaming, about, and was now entirely enthralled by Ness's mother and the baby. She was attempting to calm the fussing child by pressing it to her breast, rocking side to side, and humming softly. He watched her pace, then sit down on the sofa. While Ness's father went on about "burgers" with his son in the kitchen, Lucas slowly made his way towards the mother and child in the living room. Until he was right by their side.

"Can I hold her?"

Lucas's tone was calm and icy. He did not stutter. He was not shy. The blonde woman seemed startled and gave him a look of frightened disbelief.

"NESS. Tell your friend to leave! I told you, I don't want any visitors!"

Lucas was already headed for the door when he heard Ness shout "He's not my friend, mom!"

Lucas made dinner that night, but couldn't eat any of it. He spent the evening in his room, _their_ room, holding one of his brother's matching shirts against him as he lied in bed, unable to sleep. It was one of the roughest nights he'd had in a long time. He thought about Ness's mother and the baby. He thought about a lot of things. His mind met no rest.

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_I have a brother. We were born on the same day._

_He disappeared a long time ago._

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_._

_._

_I still see him sometimes. But it always turns out... he's not really there at all. _


	5. Talk

**_Author's Note_**: First of all, sorry about the lack of updating! I wanted to do some research before I finished this chapter, and then life got in the way n' stuff. Hopefully I can update more often now. Second of all, thank you for the reviews--every time I get one it gives me the motivation I need to start writing. Please continue telling me what you think! I love reading what you guys have to say. Happy Halloween!

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T a l k

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"I'm telling you sir, this idea is golden. I've been a businessman all my life and I know a good idea when I see one!"

Butch stood scratching the back of his head, leery about the offer presented to him. This new neighbor guy seemed shady--what with his slicked back hair and odd-looking clothes, which in actuality was nothing more than a typical grey business suit, but no one in town had seen or worn anything like it before. The man even held a flat, square, leatherbound bag that resembled a miniature suitcase, which Butch assumed was an oversized lunchbox of somesort.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer," the man insisted, overemphasizing hand gestures throughout his speech. "If we go into business together now, not only will we be doing the people of Nowhere Islands a service by introducing the wonders of 'Fast Food' to them, but we'll also become _rich_!" Butch listened but could not grasp the concept of what the "business" man was trying to get at. The only "rich" thing he'd ever experienced was the frosting he had on a cupcake once--but he wasn't quite sure why anyone would want to relate to frosting. Creamy and delcious as it was. Needless to say, most of the people in Tazmilly hadn't seen a penny in their lives.

"All you'll have to do is breed your cattle in large numbers and sell the meat to me. In turn, we'll make delicious food. You'll be rewarded greatly for your work!"

"I dunno, Mr. Jack... we never ate cows before. Pigs. Chickens. Sure. But no cows. These here are sacred creatures." With the last coment, he gently slapped the cow on its backside, and with impeccable timing, the creature emitted a toot paired with a foul smell neither man could ignore. In fact, they had to move quite a distance away in order to breathe again.

"So, my good man, what do you say?"

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Elsewhere, two different men were taking care of business as well.

"Wh... what happened!?" Lighter asked in shock.

The sight was a horrifying sight to the craftsman. Upturned and crooked posts bordered the sheep pasture--the very same fence Lighter had helped Flint build over 13 years back. The very same fence he had put his blood, sweat, and tears into--now nothing but a rotting row of uneven wood.

Flint set down the lumber he'd retrieved from the forest and glanced up at the pasture fence.

"Ah... I was tryin' to restore it. Didn't happen." Flint explained dismissingly. "Doesn't matter though, I'm just worried about gettin' a fence 'round my crops."

"Doesn't matter!? There's gaps everywhere! Your sheep could just waltz right through the crooked posts if one of 'em was feelin' smart one day. Look! One of 'em already tried!!" Lighter pointed out a fluffy white lamb that was lodged between two slanted posts, baaing feebily and struggling with its tiny feet in the air. Flint dislogded it and placed it back in the pasture where it pranced away gleefully, then he returned to Lighter's side. Before he could say anything however, they were interrupted by a stranger.

"Hello, gentlemen!" said the stranger, who happened to be the same suit-wearing man who had been pestering Butch and his family earlier that day. Despite the looks he was given, he approached undauntedly and greeted them both with a firm and brief handshake.

"Jeeze, everyone sure does love farming around here, huh! Well anyway, the name's Jack! My family and I just moved into town and I'm currently trying to start up a business." Both men were speechless and a little bit distrubed by the newcomer's forward attitude and odd attire. But even more so by the questionable things he was saying.

"I couldn't help but notice you two handy wood workers out here and just had to come over! I'm looking for some men who are good with their hands, and with wood too, of course. Hear me out..."

While the three fathers began discussing business, two of which unwitting participants to such, Lucas emerged from the house across the farm and glanced over at them. Although there was quite a bit of wood lying on the ground he wasn't sure what they were up to. Not that it mattered. He had been so excited to see how much the sprouts had grown since the last day that he hadn't even dressed before stepping outside, so his attention was drawn back to the tiny green beings sprouting from the dirt. Upon closer examination, the sprouts were growing beautifully, some simple green leaflings just barely poking out of the ground, others little bushels, and others still growing into miniature stalks. However, despite their ample growth, he could not seem to converse with them telepathically. Wondering if it was due to the rowdy men across the farm, he turned back and watched them attentively for a while. When one of them looked his way, he brought his hands to his mouth, to amplify his voice, and yelled out: "Dad! Do you want me to water the crops for you?"

"No! They don't need any waterin'!" Flint snapped, already frustrated by the neighbor's obtrusion. Dejected, Lucas regarded the plants a moment longer before returning to the house.

"Is that your son? I _also_ have a son! Quite a boy, might I add. I couldn't be prouder of him! In fact, he's not much older than yours, I'm sure. Maybe they'll become great friends!" Jack placed his hands on his hips and ruminated happily. Flint didn't seem to share the enthusiasm, but Lighter joined in.

"Oh! I have a son too! His name's Fuel and he's always tryin' to help me out." Lighter seemed to be bragging. "But... he doesn't really like Flint's boy. The kid's kinda weird."

Flint face-palmed and walked away from both men. He couldn't give a rat's behind about business or "fast food" or sons. He just wanted his dag-gun fence made.

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Ness's Father wasn't the only one out making an impression on the town. Once her energy returned to her, Sarah, Ness's mother, couldn't wait to begin exploring the town, meeting the neighbors, and more importantly, showing off her _beautiful_ baby girl. Unfortunately for Ness, she decided to drag him along too..

"Why do I have to go? _You're_ the one who wants to meet the neighbors, not me." Ness hardly glanced at his mother, who was standing in his bedroom doorway. While she tapped her foot impatiently, he flipped to the next the page of the comic book he was reading.

"I'd like to stop by the store on the way back to pick up a few things, so I need help carrying the groceries." The woman began, displeased by her son's lack of cooperation. Ness was equally displeased, seeing as he was trying to find out how Waterwoman would get out of a pinch with a shark, but couldn't very well concentrate with his mom pestering him like she was.

"Besides, it wouldn't kill you to try and make some friends yourself. I don't want you loitering around the house all the time!"

Ness exhaled through his nose obnoxiously, then said under his breath: "And yet you yell at me when I bring people over..."

With that, Sarah snapped: "Get your shoes on!" and shut his door abruptly. Ness sat up in a snit and tossed his comic book off the bed. What was that woman's problem? She didn't even want him in her sight for weeks, and now all of a sudden she wants to drag him along on a leasurely stroll? Ness wanted to strangle her sometimes. Despite the sour mood however, Ness eventually made it upstairs and out the door with his mom and sister.

Tracy, still discolored and resembling a naked molerat, was sound asleep in her stroller, which her mother had taken care to decorate with blankets in case she got cold. Ness didn't so much as look at the baby as he stayed several feet behind her and his mother while they walked. Several people stopped to wave and Sarah promptly waved back and greeted them before moving on. Ness rolled his eyes and prayed for an escape of some kind. Amazingly and unexpectedly, his prayers were answered when a woman, close to his mom's age and size approached them.

"Oh my my! What an adorable baby!" The woman gushed, kneeling before the halted carriage and placing her hands over her rosy, plump cheeks. Her hair was chestnut in color, straight, and shoulder length. Sarah giggled and went on to tell her all the gorey details of the birth. Ness raised a brow and wondered how grown women could lose it like that over a wrinkly infant. His attention was drawn away from the women, however, when another boy with brown hair walked up to look at the baby as well. It was then that the woman stood up straight and introduced herself.

"So you must be the new neighbors! Well, my name's Coaleen, and this here is my son, Fuel. Ohhh, I miss having a baby around! Seeing your little one makes me want to try n' convince my husband to plant another bun in my oven!" Fuel looked at his mother in horror, then flushed and placed his hand over his face.

"Oh you should," Ness's mom encouraged, gently placing a hand on her new friend's arm. "It's the most wonderful thing! It really brought my husband and I back together. We couldn't be happier."

Ness stared crudely at Fuel, who's line of sight never met his own, that is, until their gabbing mothers finally proposed they go and chat more over a cup of tea. Lucky for Ness, that meant he was off the hook. Unfortunately, before he could run off and as far away from them as possible--the damned neighbor woman suggested he bring Fuel along with him. He had no choice, so he did.

"...My dad helped build just about every house in town, and now he said he's gonna help Mr. Flint build a fence for his crops. I bet everyone's gonna wanna fence from my dad soon so he'll probably be really busy soon. Sometimes I help him build stuff too, but sometimes it's boring so I run around and play in the forest. There's SO many cool things to do in there! The trees are really good for climbin', and the dirt is great for diggin'--"

Alright, so "lucky" might have been a poor choice of words. Having his ear talked off by some overzealous kid wasn't exactly any better than spending the afternoon with his sassy mother, but Ness still hoped he could slip away before things got any worse. As they neared the square, his patience had thinned to a miniscule line that could disintegrate at any given moment. Fortunately, a _real_ opportunity to escape finally came up. Out of what seemed to be nowhere, that blond, well-wishing boy appeared and disapeared into the Library. Ness stopped in his tracks, and Fuel did too.

"Tch, there's Lucas." Fuel let out an angry breath. Ness looked down at him with interest.

"You know him?"

"Uh, yeah. My dad's friends with his dad, but I HATE him. He's such a freaking wimp and he's sooo annoying." Ness scoffed at that comment and said "And you aren't?" under his breath.

"No one likes him cuz he's a creeper and does really stupid stuff. Like, I heard he _talks_ to _plants. _As if they're actually people or something!! And he usually never comes out of his house, but when he does he acts strange... talking to himself and giving everyone the evil eye n' stuff. Sometimes he even goes crazy and starts hitting people and breaking windows for no reason at all!" Ness raised a brow at the statements, but wasn't sure if he should trust anything that came out of this kid's mouth. He remained skeptical. Lucas seemed shy, sure, but _crazy_?

"Oh, and I also heard he like, is dating his dog or something. I guess he's psycho cuz his mom is dead, but either way he's definitely not the kinda guy _I _want to be seen around with." Fuel finished, glaring in the direction of the Bookery. Ness decided he definitely couldn't trust anything coming from the brown-haired twit's mouth and decided to go say hello to the supposed plant-whispering, dog-molesting loon. At least _he_ didn't go on and on about lumber and dirt. That alone gave him a few sane points.

"H-hey! Where are you going?" Fuel squeeked after Ness. The taller boy waved his hand and said "Don't follow me. I'll be right back," even though he had no intention of being "back" at all.

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Lucas appeared child-like as he waddled across the Library floor, cradling more books in his arms than he could ever read in a week, much less a single day. He was on a mission to find something to help him understand... _anything_, really. About himself, his life, the way he was feeling. Surely there had to be a book about a boy he could relate to. Surely, he couldn't be the only boy who ever lost a brother and was experiencing odd hallucinations and phenomena. Could he?

As he passed by a bookshelf near the back, he caught sight of one particular book which was a bit more striking than the others. His eyes couldn't make out the full title of the book, but the word "Brother" was enough to elevate his curiosity to the point of no return. He placed the load of books he was already carrying onto the ground, momentarily losing interest in them, and attempted to reach that one-in-particular book by standing on the very tips of toes. This proved useless. He was still too short to reach it. Glancing around revealed the only step ladder was currently in-use by the old shopkeeper, who seemed to be re-alphebetizing the books at the slowest speed imaginable, and Lucas was certainly not rude enough nor assertive enough to ask if he could borrow it from him. With a bit of a pout on his lips, he returned his longing gaze to the book, which happened to be sticking out just a little bit more than the others. Almost as if it was begging to be plucked off the shelf. Almost as if it could just fall right off, if someone, say... _wished_ hard enough for it.

With his eyes locked on the object, brows furrowed, Lucas began to concentrate with every bit of his mental and emotional power.

Fall.

Yellow eyes squinted, small body tensing, he could imagine what he wanted to happen so clearly in his mind.

_Fall. Fall. FA--_

Just then, just _barely_, it seemed to move outward. Lucas jumped and gasped sharply. No one had touched it. No one had bumped the shelf. Had he just...?

"Sucks being so short, huh? You probably have to ask for favors all the time." The snidely spoken comment jolted Lucas, and out of nowhere the voices owner appeared. Ness gave the quiet blond a short, unreadable glance, then retrieved the book with ease. When the book was offered his way, Lucas pretended to be uninterested. He only took it the second time Ness pressed it towards him.

"Why are you always here?" Lucas asked, attempting to hide the fear in his voice, heart beating nearly as fast as a hummingbird's. Without interest in the answer, he flipped the book open and made his way over to his table by the window. Ness flollowed.

"Why not? Am I not allowed or something?" Ness's tone was still a bit snide.

"You don't like books," Lucas answered matter-of-factly without looking at the other. Ness huffed in defeat, although he couldn't recall ever mentioning a distaste for books before.

"Yeah, but I'm used to being in school at this time of year. It's weird not having anything to do." He took a seat across from Lucas and propped his elbows up on the table. Lucas wondered if the boy was there to harass him. Ness never mentioned he was just trying to avoid that kid, Foul, or whatever his name was. Lucas tried to concentrate on the book, but his eyes kept finding their way, somehow, up towards the other boy, who was dazily gazing out the window. When he caught himself looking, he'd snap his line of sight back down to the book. It had been a while since he'd seen the dark-eyed boy, but once Lucas remembered he hadn't left his farm for a while, it all made perfect sense. Once again he found himself wondering why Ness felt compelled to stop and talk to him every time they met, but he didn't verbalize any of his questions. The calm silence ended with a very odd comment from Ness.

"Hey, Lucas. What kind of relationship do you have with your dog?" Lucas looked up from his book with a blank expression. No one had ever asked him that, and he wasn't sure what the motive behind it was. It must have been unimportant though, seeing as Ness shook his head and said "Nevermind" as soon as Lucas asked "...What?"

"You're not really popular, huh?" Lucas sighed at the question. Did this guy get some kind of kick out of asking such weird things? Ness continued to elaborate. "I've barely been here a few weeks... but it's already pretty obvious everyone here has some really weird ideas about you."

"Oh... you mean rumors? Everybody's obsessed with rumors..." Lucas said shyly, lowering his gaze when Ness turned towards him.

"Ahh, I get it. I didn't think you were actually crazy enough to talk to trees and all that." Ness laughed, but Lucas's face hardened.

"But I--that's--" Lucas attempted to find the words to defend himself, but before he could, something interupted his thoughts altogether. He stopped and looked towards the window.

"What? What is it?" The dark haired boy watched as Lucas got up and started towards the window. Moments later, he cringed as Lucas began to shout.

"H-HEY! STOP THAT!" And out the room he darted. Confused, Ness glanced out the window, saw nothing out of the ordinary, pulled back, and chased after the peculiar blond.

Outside, Lucas dashed towards a large apple tree perched imperfectly on the edge of the town square, where some of the neighborhood kids happened to be playing. If "playing" consisted of snapping off branches, flowers, and bark in an attempt to climb all over it, that is. Lucas instantly recognized all the children. Two of them were Nichol and Richie, the outgoing children of Thomas and Lisa whom he often ran into during his outings in town. They weren't mean children, but they ignored him and usually only interacted with eachother. The third in the group of heedins was none other than Fuel, the cheeky son of his dad's best friend, Lighter. They had never gotten along, and Lucas was indifferent to his destructive personality. It was no surprise he was the one climbing atop one of the tree's thick branches, while provoking the other children to join him. Lucas was furious.

"Get down from there!!" he demanded, raising his voice to a high-pitched squeal. All three youths snapped their heads towards the boy who was fast approaching. Ness wasn't far behind. "She doesn't like it when you climb on her!!"

"Go away Lucas!" Nichol shouted, stepping protectively in front of his sister. Fuel, who was currently hanging upside down from the branch, saw Lucas running towards him at top speed and knew he was in for it. Franticly, he shrieked and began pulling himself up. Although he managed himself upright by the time Lucas was beneath him, he hadn't taken care to pull his right leg up completely. Lucas grabbed onto his dangling foot, both hands wrapping around the ankle firmly, and instantly yanked it downward. Fuel screamed boyishly over and over as he was nearly torn from the branch, but managed to keep his arms and one leg wrapped around. Pieces of bark, twigs, and a slew of leaves began falling as the boys struggled against eachother. Lucas could hear Richie scream his name loudly as he yanked downward again--with exeedingly more force than the last time. This time he was successful. With a "thud" and the screams and gasps of the children around them, Lucas had sucessfully ripped Fuel from the tree. The spiky-haired boy let out a painful "Owww...!" as he attempted to prop himself up, but ended up falling back once more, the wind completely knocked out of him. Richie and Nichol kneeled at the boys side, asking if he was hurt. Fuel moaned. Ness stood at a distance, still gawlking and wondering what, if anything, had caused such an outburst from the seemingly reserved boy. Maybe he really _was_ crazy, just like Fuel said.

"Nnghh... d... damn you, Lucas," Fuel spat out, finally and dizzily sitting up with the help of Nichol. Lucas glared at all three children, undetered by the vulgarities.

"You're so MEAN, Lucas!" Richie blubbered, then stood to her feet and ran off towards the North side of town.

"You're off your rocker, Lucas," Nichol insulted, then followed his sister promptly.

Still a bit incoherant, Fuel sheepishly stood to his feet, dusted himself off, and threw one last insult before walking off in defeat.

"Psh, have fun humping your tree." Lucas watched the brunett walk away, a fairly vacant expression upon his face. Ness folded his arms across his chest and continued to watch from a distance. Lucas stared off until the other kids were out of sight, then once they were gone, drew his attention back towards the apple tree. He then stood before it, looked up, and gently placed the palm of his hand on the bark of the tree.

With the sudden outburst and the weird way he was touching the tree, Ness really didn't know what to think. Something kept him from running in the opposite direction however--curiosity, perhaps--and led him towards the blond boy once more.

"...What the heck was that all about?" Ness inquired, unsure about questioning a crazy-person's motivation. Lucas lowered his hand from the tree's base and turned around with big, glowing eyes.

"Can I have another one of those 'Korter'?" By 'Korter', he meant 'Quarter'. Probably. Ness half-smiled and half-laughed out of sheer disbelief.

"Answer my question first." Lucas pressed his lips together, displeased with Ness's lack of cooperation. From the comment he made earlier, he knew telling him the truth would do no good. He would just think he was crazy, like everyone else! Little did he know, after that little show, Ness already knew he was a bit batty and it would take something incredible to convince him otherwise.

"I-I... I just don't--well, this is my tree, and I rather... well, I-I don't want them..." Lucas's voice grew less and less confident and audible as he watched Ness's face contort with skeptisism, but he continued still as he lowered his eyes to the floor. "...playing on it..."

"What the heck is wrong with you? You're so... freaking weird. I bet the rumors are true." Ness breathed a sigh and dug through his pockets. Lucas felt bad and he wasnt sure why. A moment later, Ness admitted he didn't have any "change" on him, so Lucas lost interest and began back towards the library to retrieve that book he had been pining over earlier that day. Ness scratched his head, more baffled by that kid and his odd behavior than ever now. He didn't follow him that time.

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Around dusk that evening, there was a knock at the door. Lucas turned from the rice he was boiling to see his father answer it. Before the doorknob had ever been turned however, a looming feeling came over Lucas and he knew something bad was about to happen. When he heard his father's mumbled "Mmm?" of recognition, and a woman's familiar voice, he knew exactly what had happened. Fuel had told on him. The guilty boy lowered his head and returned to the rice, stirring it slowly. Boney sat by his feet and whimpered. Lucas heard only bits and pieces of the woman's rant and his father mumbling in understanding. Then, the door shut, and he could only brace himself for what was about to come.

"What's your problem boy? I'm sick of hearin' it from the neighbors. You need to get your act together." Flint's perturbed tone rung through the boy's ears and caused him to twitch. Unable to control the pent-up emotion, he began to cry. Although he was facing the stove, Flint could hear the sniveling and knew exactly what he was doing. Lucas fidgetted when Flint slammed his hand against the countertop.

"Are you _crying_!? I don't get you kid. If ANYBODY should be crying, it should be me, but I ain't. You know why? 'Cause men don't cry, goddamnit!" Flint was at his wit's end. He wanted to shake his son, knock some sense into him, anything. But he somehow knew that nothing was going to help. Lucas quickly tried to wipe his tears away with both hands, but the tears continued to form and he could never seem to make them stop.

"S-sorry..." Lucas could hardly look at his father under normal circumstances, so this was ten times more difficult. Flint brought his hand to his forehead, rubbing at a stress-induced headthrob. Lucas attempted to stop his tears.

"I guess I just have to ground you. I don't wanna see you out again for a week." Lucas nodded slowly. Flint paused, then continued. "So... get to yer room. Uh--after you finish with supper... I guess."

Lucas did as he was told, carefully pouring the boiling water from the pot, then serving the rice with the fresh carrots and peas his father had brought home the day before. Once he was done, he sluggishly began towards the stairs. Flint looked at the steaming meal, then to his son.

"Uh... Lucas." The boy stopped midstep, one hand on the railing of the staircase. Flint seemed to struggle to find the words, but eventually said "...Come n' eat first, boy," and then turned his gaze back to the hearty dinner. Lucas sniffled and wiped his nose, then joined his father at the opposite end of the table. They didn't exchange any more words after that. When they were done, Lucas collected the bowls and placed them in the sink to wash in the morning. Both father and son retired to their rooms.

Lucas, unable to sleep and too antsy to sit and read, waited a couple of hours to make sure his father was fast asleep, then decided to sneak out of the house. He slipped on his shoes, opened his door carefully, and walked down the hallway just the same. Once he made it outside, he had to shush Boney--who could hardly contain his excitement to see someone was awake beside him. Maybe they could play! Lucas broke the news that he wasn't out there to play, but offered to take him along anyway. Boney, tail wagging furiously, stifled a bark and agreed instantly. They both headed into town together.

The boy stopped when he found himself underneath the big apple tree. Below his feet lied the mess from earlier that day; snapped twigs, broken, pinkish blossoms, and countless dishevelled leaves. The feeling of guilt was nearly overwhelming. But before he could even reach out to the tree, it reached out to him. Not literally though.

_"Hello, little one." _Lucas looked up and smiled solemnly, then greeted her with a meek "Hello".

_"Thank you for saving me from those unruly children. It seems these days nearly everyone has lost respect for me. What's that saying of yours...?"_ The majestic tree paused. _"Ah yes, 'Respect your Elders'. I wonder, does anyone know just how old I am? I was here before any of you. I was here before the village was ever constructed around me."_

"Are you mad that they built the village?"Lucas inquired. He and Boney took a seat underneath the tree, curious about the wisdom she had to share.

_"No, no!"_ The old "woman" chuckled, then continued. _"I'm not angry at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. When I was a lass I was almost completely alone, save for the shrub here and there and the other fruit trees across the way. When they began building the village, I was excited. Finally, I had a reason to show off! Once everything had settled in and I bore my fruit, the villagers regarded me with such courtesy and admiration. I felt like a fruit-bearing Goddess!" _Lucas smiled. He could just imagine what those days must have been like. _"Because I provided food, life, and beauty, the people treated me tenderly. But as the years went on, the attention and love I recieved has gradually diminished. I still use all of my strength every year to bear my apples in fall, but people have lost interest in the harvest. The man with the silly hat comes by to collect a few baskets full, but much of my fruit ends up rotting on the ground above my feet." _Lucas could feel the sadness welling up inside the old tree and he understood. If he spent the entire year building up strength just to bear fruit for people who didn't even care, he would have felt the same way!

"I'm sorry... I would feel sad if I were you, too." Lucas offered, carressing her bark with his fingers.

_"Oho! You have no reason to apologize. In fact, I should be thanking you. You're the only one who still talks to me and treats me with the respect an old lady deserves!"_

"My dad grounded me... so I can't visit you for a while. But when I can, would you like it if I read underneath you?"

_"Of course! I'd love that. But I should rest now. I have a lot of energy to build up in time for autumn."_

"Will there be as many apples as last year?"

_"Hohoho, absolutely! Just because people have become ungrateful, doesn't mean I won't give it my all! In fact, I have a feeling this will be one of my biggest harvests yet."_

"I'll pick a lot of them. I'll make pie and juice and preserves! That way no apples rot on the ground!"

_"You are so sweet. Well, goodbye. Wake me up when you're finished being 'grounded'!"_ The tree didn't know the meaning of the word, but it didn't sound like a bad thing. After all, she herself was "grounded" too.

Afterwards, Lucas made his way back home with Boney at his side. The next week might be a boring one for the boy, but for the men involved in Jack's Fast Food scheme, things were just about to get exciting...


End file.
